Porsche Boxster Roll Hoop in an 88 S4 Vert' How-to (In Progress)
 

I finally decided to "pull the trigger" on this project as I have been wanting to do this for a LONG time. I looked at the options out there like the Kirk Racing roll bar and decided that was not for me as I wanted something like the Miata roll hoops that are cosmetic, but also like the Kirk Racing bar that can actually be tracked. The Porsche Roll Hoop from the 97-04 Boxster is the donating candidate for my bar as it is almost spot on with dimensions (width especially). It also was designed to protect it's occupants in the event of a roll over so this was paramount to me. It also does not hurt that the factory made a rear "aero" tonneau cover that is easily adapted as well.....just require's a little imagination.

I am in the middle of this install, but as you can see from the pics it's totally viable and most importantly will be safe and functional. I will most likely turn this into a how-to as I go along and will be addidng more informative pics. As you can see, I am not using the vert's top motors as mine were in great shape (for sale), but instead, have decided that the weight savings from removing them and most of the fake floor (carpet, trim) as well as the mounts for all of it will help to save weight since I am adding some with the roll bar. For those wanting to do some HPDE's with NASA or SCCA events, this bar should be track legal as I looked at the current rule books when considering this, as well as asking a friend that works tech at NASA SE events. On to the meat of it..... I will be tying (welding) the bar into three places on each side (two to the frame and one fab'd mount to the factory upper shoulder seatbelt bolt hole as I won't be using that anymore with harnesses) that I will label at a later date after I measure, cut and paint the bar (painting both the bar itself factory red and prepping my car for new paint at the same time). I am also going to be using the Roll bar to mount 4-point Schroth harness's on and since I am re-covering the seats at the same time I will be using Tripps Devices on both to safely guide the shoulder harness on each side as well.

Since I am deleting the funtionality of the electric top, I have fab'd a couple of mounts with hood pins for the arms that attach to the motors and elevate the top to solve the issue of what holds the top up in Targa mode. However, this could be done WITHOUT getting rid of the motors and therefore retaining power to the top if one was so inclined. I know the pics of the bar look high but this is the stock bar, the way I bought it with all the trim AND the Porsche windscreen for 350.00. If you did not want the trim, the bars can be sourced online for 100-150.00 all day long from what I seen recently. I will be taking rougly 3-5 inches out of the height of the bar before i weld it in to make the height right for the top and to allow me wear a helmet and pass the "broomstick test" at a track day event ;-)

Last, to take this to a slightly more finished level I am using the Porsche Hump pictured below that really should give the rear of the vert' a more current and polished look as opposed to the Leather/Vinyl Tonneau that came with the car. Some may not think so, but I think the rear lines of the car will blend well with it and my Bomex kit. It's more work, but with a little imagination, some fiberglass fab'ing and ALOT of prep work it should work out well. Stay tuned for more pics over the next several weeks as it takes some time to do this right. Use this info at your own risk.

Materials needed:
-97-04 Porsche Boxster Roll Hoop assembly

Tools:
- 1 3/4-inch DOM mild steel tubing
- Tube bender
- Tube notcher
- Tape measure
- Metal pipe cutter
- Brace
- Hand grinder
- Protractor or carpenter's angle finder
- MIG or TIG welder
-Cutting wheel or Sawz-All
-Dremel with Heavy Duty Cutting blades

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../RollHoop3.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../Rollhoop5.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../Rollhoop4.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../Rollhoop2.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...C1YJmQ0_12.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...tMain_17_4.jpg

Cool.

interesting. cant wait to see final pics

Thanks guys....working on it again over the next few days.....More pics and details to come.

Sweet. Is the top still able to be closed? Basically could you still drive in the rain?

Yes, the top will be fully functional in my car, as that is something I am being very careful about as far as measuring and mocking up the seats. The only thing that will change is, I chose to make my top fully manual and do away with the power motors for two reasons. One being that it simplifies things for me in that I don't have to ever worry about wiring or bad motors again. Two, it was a question of weight for me, since I don't want the car to look stripped out but still wanted to lose weight where it made sense. Anyway, the solution I came up with for securing the top (in closed position) can be done very easily and will most likely be setup using hood pins and clips; as this will facilitate being able to lower the top easily and quickly by one person.

Is it going to sit up that high when it's done? I think it would look much better if it were a couple inches lower...


Oops nvm didn't read all the way down.

This is really interesting project. I once looked for rollbar for my vert but was not able to find good one to fit my taste. Do you happen to measure weight of Boxster rollbar? And do you know what it is made of?

But if you wanted to, you COULD leave the top power operated? Or does the installation require you eliminate something related to the power lift system?

Sidebar, you should be able to retain the shoulder harness's (avoiding click it or ticket tickets) and still mount to the related mounting nut. That is how the Kirk Racing Vert bar mounts.

I'm very interested in how this works out as a Hoop design is better than the standard straight across roll bar approach as the roll bar blocks vision to the rear via the rear view mirror.

IGOTTAFC: Yes, if you read back thru the original post it should sit approximately 3-5 inches lower and be proportionate to the seat height as well. I just have not cut it yet, since I am locating some load plates for the bottom of the bars first. Otherwise, it would already be cut down to the size I have planned for the final product.

Kiyoshi: Not exact about the weight but I would guesstimate 20-30lbs with trim.

Hozzmanrx7: Yes, you could leave the electric top functionality and just mod the carpeted covers for the motors. You could also retain the stock seat belts. I am aussuming Cali enforces this heavily? As many cars as I have owned, I have never been ticketed on the East Coast for using 4pt harnesses.

awesome i cant wait to see how it turns out ive got a couple of these at work!!! :)

nice!!!!

I wanna see the final product ..

would look good with some rx8 seats to go with it

I actually agree with you, which is why I decided to go with these as they remind me of the RX8 seats. My original plans were to recover the stock seats, but after looking around some I pulled the trigger on a set of these: http://www.cobraseats.com/-Misano-S

Still working on this guys.....Had to locate a trim piece from a Boxster for the rear tonneau to have a base. More pics to come, as I am really trying to produce a "could've come from the factory" type look. Measure twice.......cut once

nice, I have those seats in my vert, was thinking of doing the exact same thing with the cage....nuts...

Good work. Keep us posted I really want some added flip-over safety.

Better safe than dead.

finally someone tries something on their own, and no "photoshop request"

good job sir, also this is one hard "do it yourself" I don't think most 2nd gen owners can afford half the tools needed, let alone Porsche parts.... XD

You wouldn't have to have all these tools and honestly, I think if you are not comfortable welding, then I would take it to someone who welds in cages when you get to that point. The point of this thread is that there ARE alternatives and MOST of this work you can do yourself with some elbow grease and ingenuity. This bar can be bought WITHOUT trim for 100-150.00 all day long on Ebay just so you know. I have been waiting for the tonneau to get here to finish measurements or I would have more pics. Should get here this week. More to come......

Making some progress on this finally.....Roll bar is bolted in (temporary for fitment of all pieces) and is soon to be welded in after I play with the seat /hoops/Speedster Cover height (this will increase with the fiberglass base that covers the top area that is to be put under it after I finish fab'ing it to fit as well).


http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...d4a4c02&type=1

I really want to see what it looks like on the car. Like the car as a whole. Not where all I see is trunk, roll bar and seat.

Patience....young padawan :nod:

More Pics are forthcoming after I finalize the welding and the bracing......Rome was not conquered in a day.

Ahhh okay! It's just so hard to wait haha! :D

how is this looking anyway? not asking for pics, just wondering how progress is.

It's looking really cool.....the farther I get along the more of a finished product it becomes obviously. That said, I am still playing with heights as I want it to look right and be proportionate. I am very happy with how strong it will be and the fact that I can use a Schroth or Sparco 4pt harness with it. I am going to post more pics tonight but I want to get the welding done and cleaned up before I post alot of close ups of it, as I am trying to make it all as clean and seamless as possible. Basically, I am attempting to set it up to look like it COULD have come like that from the factory. Anyway, just getting off work (IT) and going to work on the car this morning, so more pics tonight. The last link was really just to show you what you could do with the rear tonneau by propping it on the rear of bar like a shelf and using a fastener to secure it. I also have a Porsche Boxster canvas tonneau that stretches over the cock pit perfectly (coincidentally) when the car is parked to keep people or the elements out (also has a provision to cover the whole cockpit but the driver like an old Jaguar convertible). Stay tuned, as I am just as excited to finally be seeing some positive results from what basically started out as an observation/guesstimation of a few Porsche Boxster pictures........

Speedster Cover/Roll Hoop Pics
 

Ask and ya shall receive.......Yeah btw, I know it's messy in my storage unit lol.

Also, I will be explaining the use of the angle iron in the last pic for the front legs, as well as how it will tie into the frame and subframe in a later post. I have really good news for all those guys who want to retain their power top in that you really only have to worry about tieing in the rear legs of the roll hoop behind the top motors and in front of the mounts that the carpet bolts too (will post pics of this too in the coming weeks) All in all I am very happy about how close I am coming to achieving the look and more importantly, the safety (although Porsche only BOLTS their's down so welding it should increase the torsional rigidity of the chassis quite substantially), of the Porsche Boxster pics in the very first post of this thread. To have eyeball'd these parts online and been so close to fitting as-is was really cool. Very stoked.....more to come soon

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...22-11_0751.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...22-11_0858.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...22-11_0842.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...22-11_0841.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...22-11_0742.jpg

any updates?

i like it cant wait to see it

Hi,

I have updates for the bar and the tonneau. I will take some more pics and post them this week, as I decided several months ago to change the vert's color to black. That decision took me in different directions as far as priorities and I have now worked my way back into the passenger compartment. The bar is welded into it's final resting place, but I have decided to take it a step further and weld in some side impact bars which I have tied into the Porsche bar using a pipe notcher. I know pictures speak louder than words, so look for some this weekend........

awesome! i was beginning to think you had abandoned it lol

I don't even have a vert and I still wanna see this bad!

crazy

RXVERT Always in Progress
 

SKNKWRKZ Keepup the excellent work Were ALL very proud of you. I originally was going to do that with an Honda S2000 cover. but never followed thru.See Picts;

RXVERT Always in Progress
 

I originally looked at most of the tounec covers to see the flow of the line of the car heres some others: All you vert guys soak it in and get creative.

RXVERT Always In Progress
 

One Last Picture please: A See Thru of a Miata Hard Top Convertible Trunk Area:

not trying to be a douche but...... still waiting for said pictures :suspect:

I'm also a douche, also waiting for pics!

Here are a few......more to come this weekend as it's been slow going. I am also trying to finish some work on a Knightsport front bumper I chopped up from an FD and molded into my FC as well as flaring out the front of the fenders to meet it. Lots of Irons in the fire but it's all coming together. Painted the trunk and the engine compartment and am looking at finishing the rest of the paint sometime this month before I put it on the trailer to have a new top put on (not touching that one). Anyway, here are a couple pics of the Tonneau.......The first one is of the two top Porsche pieces molded and fiberglass'd to the bottom piece I made. The 2nd one is borrowed from the car stereo guys by covering it with synthetic fleece and then saturating that with resin. Now, I will 'glass the places that need it, sand it and prep it for primer sealer.

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Tonneau1.jpg


Fleece
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Tonneau5.jpg

Pic of it in the installed location ?

Here ya go.......
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...Tonneau1-1.jpg

2nd pic
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Tonneau3.jpg

3rd pic
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...Tonneau5-1.jpg

4th pic
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Tonneau6.jpg

5th pic
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Tonneau4.jpg

i love this project but how is one supposed to umm store said fiberglass thing once the top is up?

so this is more of a permanent no more top mod?

it looks good

i wouldnt consider it permanent since welp the top is hidden by the thingy he is making i suppose that one could store the thingy at home.

and i just answered my own question

You are right about the Tonneau as far as storing it at home and It's definitely meant for blue sky days. It was originally a two-piece Porsche Boxster setup that came apart to store, but the base piece that they are molded into necessitated it become one piece. I also have a Porsche Canvas cover that covers the whole cockpit if I am away from the car with the top down that I modified to fit the car (think classic Jaguar cover) and that fits over the Boxster hoops as well. More pics to come of that setup as well.......

02-07-2012 New Roll Hoop Paint Pics
 

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...Cagepaint2.jpg

Pic 2
Floor/Subframe/Side Impact Bars
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../floorbar1.jpg

Pic3
Driver Side View
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...Cagepaint5.jpg

Pic4
Rat Rod Spider Web
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...72012/web5.jpg

Pic 5
Floor Bar2
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../Floorbar2.jpg

Pic6
Rat Rod Spider Close Up
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...72012/Web1.jpg

Pic7
Roll Hoop Side View
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...72012/web4.jpg

What gaping hole? If you are referring to the space around the tonneau cover on the back of it, that is all flush with the convertible top by using a truck door rubber seal gasket that isolates the tonneau from the rest of that car and keeps it from getting scratched or chipped. The tonneau, btw, still requires finishing sanding and prepping.

First Off, if you have owned a vert, then you know that all there was there before was a faux raised floor and no rear seats. Besides, the places where you could put those childlike seats in the back will house more useful things like a remote mounted Red Top battery. Second, give it some time as I have the whole interior to put back in with several other BESPOKE pieces for the front and the back. Once the front seats\harnesses are in, as well as the carpet, I am looking at two things......The first would be using the factory supplied wind guard behind the front seats that would swing up and down on hinges that would still let me access the back. The second, would be a Corvette/Saleen "Waterfall type) center piece that would attach to the Roll Hoop that I have drawn up plans previously to fabricate. I know it's hard to vision some of that, as none of it is bolt-on, but custom one-off.....So, just bare with me, as to my knowledge, none of this has really been tried before. In any case, what you are talking about is trivial at best, as just getting that Roll Hoop tied in and looking right (as it looks right to me and as long as it looks right to me, that's ALL that really counts) was first and foremost.

This looks incredible! I had always wondered about this style of roll bar when I had each of my verts. Great job thinking outside the box!

(Now I just have to figure out when I can get my car up to you to convince you to build me a roll bar for my coupe... LOL)

great job!